Minimally-invasive surgery (MIS), such as laparoscopic surgery, involves techniques intended to reduce tissue damage during a surgical procedure. For example, laparoscopic procedures typically involve creating a number of small incisions in the patient (e.g., in the abdomen), and introducing one or more surgical instruments (e.g., an end effector, at least one camera, etc.) through the incisions into the patient. The surgical procedures may then be performed using the introduced surgical instruments, with the visualization aid provided by the camera.
Generally, MIS provides multiple benefits, such as reduced patient scarring, less patient pain, shorter patient recovery periods, and lower medical treatment costs associated with patient recovery. In some embodiments, MIS may be performed with robotic systems that include one or more robotic arms for manipulating surgical instruments based on commands from an operator. A robotic arm may, for example, support at its distal end various devices such as surgical end effectors, imaging devices, cannulae for providing access to the patient's body cavity and organs, etc.
To control conventional robotic surgical systems, a user at a user console may manipulate devices with hands and/or feet. For example, a typical user console may include foot pedals or buttons, where each foot pedal or button corresponds to a different respective function of the robotic surgical system. By moving his or her feet to manipulate different foot pedals or button, the user can control different functions of the system. For example, a particular foot pedal or buttons may correspond to actuation of a surgical instrument coupled to a particular robotic arm, or engagement or disengagement of a clutch mode, etc. Typically, each foot of the user must move among an array of multiple foot pedals or buttons to selectively control the various desired functions of the robotic surgical system. However, the user may accidentally select and engage the wrong foot pedal or button with their foot, thereby inadvertently actuating an undesired function of the robotic surgical system. For example, the user might not look down at their feet to visually locate the correct foot pedal or button. Additionally, even if the user does look down at their feet to ensure accurate foot placement on a desired foot pedal or button, such visual checking interrupts and slows the user's workflow. Although some systems may include a screen displaying to the user a graphical representation of their feet relative to foot pedal or buttons (e.g., based on sensor detection), visual checking of the screen to verify correct foot placement relies on accuracy of potentially erroneous sensor detection of foot placement, and additionally still interrupts and slows the user's workflow.
Therefore, it is desirable to have new and useful foot-operated control systems and methods for controlling a robotic surgical system.